Chapter 136
Fan Changyu stood there in a daze like a stupid goose.
Seeing her standing there stupidly without moving, Xie Zheng said, "Don't be shy."
Fan Changyu glared at him with a hint of annoyance, but considering that this was the tomb of General Xie and his wife, he became a little more reserved.
She withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the tombstone of General Xie and his wife. When she thought about the quarrel she had with Xie Zheng in front of the tomb just a moment ago, her face suddenly became even more uncomfortable.
She knelt down and said, "I am Changyu, the younger generation, and I am here to pay my respects to the general and his wife."
Yan Yi leaned over and kowtowed three times.
Her maternal grandfather had been an important general under Xie Linshan, so the two families had a very close relationship.
Xie Zheng didn't show any expression when he heard her paying homage to his parents as a descendant of the Meng family. He just said to the tombstone lying silently in the night: "This is your future daughter-in-law."
Fan Changyu blushed for the first time in his life, and after standing up, he said to Xie Zheng fiercely, "Don't talk nonsense."
Xie Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly: "Who else can I marry if not you in this life? You will be their daughter-in-law sooner or later, how can you be talking nonsense?"
Fan Changyu simply ignored Xie Zheng and turned to look back at the road they came from: "We have been delayed for so long, let's get down the mountain quickly, otherwise Uncle Zhong will be worried down there."
The overturned lantern had long burned out, and in the moonlight, one could vaguely see her red earlobes, which looked like pyracantha fruits hanging on a pyracantha tree covered in snow, so bright red that one would want to take a bite.
Xie Zheng stared at Fan Changyu's earlobe with a deep gaze.
After Fan Changyu finished speaking, she turned around and met Xie Zheng's dark eyes. She was slightly stunned, and subconsciously pinched her hot earlobe and urged: "Let's go."
Yan Bi took the lead and took a step forward.
Xie Zheng looked at her almost fleeing back, raised the corner of his lip slightly, and followed her at a leisurely pace.
-
After the hour of Xu, the street where the Prime Minister's Mansion was located became dead silent, and even the barking of dogs could hardly be heard.
Wei Yan's carriage stopped in front of the mansion. A cold wind blew, and the withered and yellow frost-covered leaves on the branches of the elm and poplar trees on both sides of the long street fell to the ground, creating a desolate and bleak scene.
As Wei Yanfang stepped off the carriage on a stool, Wei Xuan strode out of the mansion gate and approached him anxiously, "Father, you are finally back..."
Wei Yan glanced at his only son with his stern but even more majestic eyes, and scolded him as soon as he opened his mouth: "How can you be so flustered?"
Wei Xuan was arrogant in front of others, and his fear of Wei Yan seemed to have become an instinct ingrained in him. He gritted his teeth and said with some sadness: "My mother is ill, you..."
Wei Yan stepped onto the stone steps in front of the mansion and ordered the old servant who followed him: "Wei Quan, take my token and go to the Imperial Hospital to invite Doctor Hu."
Wei Xuan followed closely behind him. When he saw Wei Yan enter the mansion and head towards his study, he clenched his hands at his sides into fists and finally shouted at Wei Yan's back, "Can't you go see your mother?"
This time, he was expressing his dissatisfaction on behalf of his mother.
But the servants who were accompanying him were obviously frightened and dared not even breathe.
It was also the first time that Wei Xuan contradicted his father whom he admired so much. He stared at Wei Yan's back stubbornly and choked up, "The doctor came to see me and said that my mother was sick because of worry. My mother didn't let me come to see you... She said that she couldn't cause you any trouble, so you should go see her..."
Wei Xuan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand in a somewhat wolfish manner. He was as arrogant as a tyrant in front of outsiders, but in front of Wei Yan, he was always restrained like a child.
Wei Yan stopped in his tracks, glanced coldly at Wei Xuan, and walked towards the study without saying a word.
A group of waiters hurriedly followed, leaving Wei Xuan standing there, grinning in self-mockery and sadness, his smile was uglier than his tears.
After everyone had left, the butler Wei Quan stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, young master. I have sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to invite Doctor Hu. The Prime Minister has been busy these days and really doesn't have the energy to deal with matters in the inner chambers."
A vein bulged under Wei Xuan's neck, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Is it because I didn't achieve anything with Xie Zheng that my father dislikes me, and he is also angry with my mother?"
Wei Quan hurriedly said, "Sir, please stop talking nonsense. If this gets to the Prime Minister's ears, you will be punished again."
Wei Xuan laughed loudly, his eyes full of resentment: "I will be punished if I am punished. Over the years, he only looked at me straight in the eye when he punished me every time I did something wrong. I am not as good as Xie Zheng, nor as good as his favorite students. Apart from his blood, what else is there that is worthy of him looking at me?"
Wei Quan looked at Wei Xuan, who seemed to be crying, with complicated eyes, and said, "Young Master, please don't belittle yourself. Sitting in the position of Prime Minister, you have too many things to think about. It is understandable that you have no time to take care of the backyard. I will take you back."
Wei Xuan knew that what Wei Quan said made sense.
Sometimes he didn't know whether he was blaming Wei Yan or himself.
Wei Yan had no other concubines except his mother, his principal wife.
But since Wei Xuan's record began, Wei Yan went to his mother's courtyard to eat almost exclusively during the New Year's Eve dinner, and he never stayed overnight. For the past ten years or so, he lived in the study.
The servants in the Wei Mansion were extremely well-behaved, and no one ever dared to show any disrespect to the mother and son. His mother possessed all the dignity that a lady of the first rank should have.
But the older Wei Xuan got, the more sad he felt for his mother.
Wei Yan never had his mother in his eyes. He seemed to be born not to like women and only loved power.
But his mother's family background was ordinary, and it was only with the support of Wei Yan that his maternal grandfather's family became a fifth-rank official in Beijing and was finally able to gain a foothold in the capital.
In the past, in order to get Wei Yan to discipline him more, Wei Xuan committed crimes repeatedly, stayed in Qinlou and Chuguan, and kept singing girls. Even now, he still has a bunch of beautiful girls in his yard. He knows very well about the things between men and women.
He couldn't understand why his father, who only cared about power, wanted to marry his mother, who had no background. The Wei family was a century-old family. When Wei Yan was young, he was even known as the "civil and military duo" together with Xie Linshan. If he wanted to marry, there were plenty of famous ladies in the capital for him to choose from.
Since he married his mother, there has been no one else around him for all these years. Wei Xuan thought that Wei Yan probably had feelings for her mother when he was young.
It was only because I disappointed him that he ignored my mother as well.
Wei Xuan was always in a bad temper in front of others. Only in front of Wei Quan, the old servant of his father, did he reveal his childish side. He sat on the stone steps, raised his hands to cover his eyes, and said bitterly: "I wish I was Xie Zheng. With such a promising son, father would be happy, right?"
His mother kept a fast and chanted Buddhist scriptures. When she mentioned Wei Yan, her tone was full of respect. She told him most often to study hard, practice martial arts well, become a capable person, and be used by his father...
But Wei Yan didn't seem to like children. Wei Xuan had been afraid of him since he was a child. However, because of his mother's and outsiders' attitude towards Wei Yan, he was full of admiration for him.
When I was young, I also thought about doing everything to the best of my ability and getting a word of praise from Wei Yan.
But before Xie Zheng came to the Wei Mansion, Wei Yan would occasionally be kind to him, and although he was strict when giving him instructions on his homework, he would not be too harsh.
After Xie Zheng came, he never saw Wei Yan smile at him again. He and Xie Zheng ate and lived together, and every time Wei Yan saw them, his face was gloomy.
Xie Zheng was always very smart. No matter what he was taught, he could learn it as soon as his teacher taught him.
Occasionally, when Wei Yan tested them on their knowledge, Xie Zheng would be able to answer them by citing inferences even if he was afraid. On the contrary, when he was answering questions in front of Wei Yan, as soon as Wei Yan's sharp eyes moved from the book to him, he would tremble like a sieve and be unable to utter a word.
He resented Xie Zheng for bringing shame to him, and also resented him for making him look like a fool, causing Wei Yan to no longer look at him with admiration in his eyes.
He thought more than once that it would be great if there was no such person as Xie Zheng in the world.
So when he was young, he bullied Xie Zheng without any mercy. Once or twice, Wei Yan found out and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. Afterwards, he became even more aggressive in getting revenge on Xie Zheng, and Xie Zheng didn't even dare to complain.
But he did not feel very happy. At first, he stuffed snakes and insects into Xie Zheng's bedding, which scared Xie Zheng so much that he screamed in panic. Later, Xie Zheng would just crush the snakes and insects to death without blinking an eye.
In the dead of winter, he poured icy well water on Xie Zheng's bed. Xie Zheng threw the soaked mattress on the floor and slept on the bare bed board with his clothes on all night. The next day, he had a high fever, but he was still able to beat him in the martial arts arena.
He brought a bunch of officials' sons who flattered the powerful and bullied the weak in the academy. They poured ink all over Xie Zheng's desk, beat him up behind the rockery, stepped on his face and rolled him into the mud, and mocked him, "This is what Xie Linshan's descendants are like."
He hoped that Xie Zheng would just turn into a pile of mud.
But Xie Zheng never asked for mercy. When his minions held his hands and feet, stepped on his face and pressed him into the mud, the look in his eyes was cold and dark, making people feel scared.
Later, Xie Zheng joined the army. When they met again, Xie Zheng had returned from the battlefield with great military achievements, which made him look like nothing in comparison.
It was also a rainy day. Xie Zheng broke several of his ribs and stepped on his face as he was crushed into the pouring rain. He sneered, "Wei Yan's offspring is no more than this."
Xie Zheng returned all that he had given to him.
From then on, he hated Xie Zheng more and more, knowing that no one knew how happy he was when Xie Zheng died on the battlefield of Chongzhou.
But even though Xie Zheng "died", he went to the northwest, but failed to take over the army in his hands. Instead, he made the entire northwest a mess, allowing Wei Yan to be seized by the Li Party for impeachment.
After many years, Wei Xuan finally admitted that he was jealous of Xie Zheng, so jealous that he hated himself for not being him.
When Wei Quan heard what he said, he just said, "The Marquis is the Marquis, and the Young Master is the Young Master. The Young Master does not need to be compared with anyone else."
Wei Xuan lowered his head and smiled bitterly, looking at the shadows of the bamboos reflected on the ground. He didn't want to say anything more in front of Wei Quan, and continue to embarrass himself. He stood up and said, "I'll go back to accompany my mother."
Wei Quan nodded and saw him off.
When Wei Xuan arrived at the courtyard where Madam Wei lived, he heard the heart-wrenching cough coming from inside before he even entered the room.
He thought of Wei Yan's cold and indifferent back as he left, and his heart became more bitter. He saw the maid coming over from the small kitchen with the freshly boiled medicine and said, "I'll take it to mother."
The maid was obviously a little afraid of him and did not dare to refuse, so she respectfully handed over the tray with medicine.
Wei Xuan was a tough, thick-skinned man. He simply picked up the celadon medicine bowl with gold rims and strode into the room.
"Mother, take your medicine." As soon as he entered the room, a servant brought a round stool and placed it beside the bed.
Mrs. Wei was ill and did not look well. She was not a beauty in the traditional sense and had an ordinary appearance, but she had been fasting and chanting Buddhist scriptures for many years, and there was a sense of compassion between her brows.
She comforted her only son, saying, "It's just an old illness. It's not a big deal. I'll just need to lie down for a few days."
Wei Xuan lowered his head and used a spoon to stir the brown medicine in the bowl. He said, "Father was very worried when he heard that you were ill. However, the situation in the court is unclear and father has many ministers to discuss matters. He cannot leave. That's why he didn't come to see you. But he has sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to invite the imperial physician."
When Madam Wei heard what Wei Xuan said, her originally peaceful eyes changed. She asked, "Did you go to see the Prime Minister? Didn't I tell you not to disturb the Prime Minister with such a small matter..."
Wei Xuan said: "I am not the one who went to look for my father. The mansion is so small. If you are sick and need to see a doctor, how can you hide it..."
Mrs. Wei coughed even harder, and looked at her son and spoke with some difficulty: "Don't hide it from me, why are you..."
She sighed helplessly: "Why don't you listen to me?"
After his mother found out that he had lied, Wei Xuan lowered his head in embarrassment, and clenched his hands tightly around the medicine bowl. "Mother, is it because I am such a loser that you feel ashamed to go back to your father?"
Madam Wei covered her lips and coughed a few times, then said weakly, "Silly child, what are you talking about?"
Wei Xuan raised his head with red eyes: "It is because I am incompetent and disliked by my father that you are also neglected."
Madam Wei was slightly startled, with complicated emotions surging in her eyes. She said gently, "Don't let your imagination run wild. The Prime Minister is a man who does great things. A real man won't be bound by the relationship between a man and his daughter. Don't say such things in front of the Prime Minister."
Wei Xuan said angrily: "But in these years, father only came to your place to have a meal during the New Year. Mother, don't you feel wronged?"
Mrs. Wei looked sad for a moment, as if she was recalling something from the past. She said, "Silly child, don't think like that. I have never felt wronged. The Prime Minister is my benefactor. You should be able to do something, just like you thanked your cousin, and share the burden on the Prime Minister's shoulders."
Wei Yan's breakup with Xie Zheng was unknown to the women in the back house who did not care about the affairs of the family. They just thought that Xie Zheng was in the north and had not returned home for a few years.
Wei Xuanmin caught a line in Madam Wei's words and asked, "Why did mother say that father was your benefactor?"
Madam Wei lowered her eyes and did not answer immediately. She covered her lips and coughed for a while before saying, "Being born a woman, getting married is like a second reincarnation. When I was a girl, I was born out of wedlock, so my food and clothing depended on others. In the past twenty years since I married into the Prime Minister's Mansion, the Prime Minister has treated me well. I am satisfied."
Wei Xuan knew that his mother was a non-competitive person, so he helped Mrs. Wei drink the medicine and remained silent without asking any more questions.
-
When Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng returned from Xie's mausoleum, it was almost midnight and the city gates were closed. Fan Changyu could only wait until the next day when the city gates were opened before returning to the Jinzouyuan.
Fortunately, she had informed Xie Qi before she left, so even if she did not return home overnight, there should not be any trouble.
Xie Zhong drove them back to the manor outside the city. As soon as the carriage arrived at the gate, a rider in blood-stained clothes was waiting outside and handed over a letter: "Master, this is news from the palace delivered by the princess."
Xie Zheng took it and tore open the envelope. He read the entire letter in the light of the lantern at the door and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
When Fan Changyu heard that he had corresponded with the princess, he felt strange. Seeing that his face looked strange, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie Zheng handed her the letter and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Wei Yan once had an affair with the concubine!"
Fan Changyu hadn't had time to read the letter, but he was startled when he heard the words. Wei Yan had had an affair with the concubine. Did this mean that there were clues that he had planned the Jinzhou case seventeen years ago?
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